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italian bicycles through time
evolution of the bicycle
pedaling back to the top Beginning with Bianchi's early initiatives, Italy has transformed the construction of bicycles into an art form. Comparable to the precision and detail used to create Deruta ceramics, or the knowledge and care required to harvest a Super Tuscan, Italian Bicycle makers have transformed bicycle manufacturing into a highly skilled craft - mentored through generations of watchful artisans. Many agree that it is because of this long line of Italian frame building masters that the world craves the subtle synthesis of science and practiced skill that results in a beautiful and efficient Italian racing machine.
bike fads come and go - recent trends As the demand for mountain bikes began to swell, Italian manufacturers did not recognize the importance of the mountain bike phenomenon. The Italian bicycle industry found itself unprepared for the trend toward mountain bikes and reacted in a self-destructive way. In 1990, the newspaper "Gazzetta dello Sport" noted that many Italian firms were importing low-priced mountain bikes from Taiwan, adding Italian saddles, and selling them as Italian products. Contrary to their traditions of quality, creativity and technical innovation, Italian bike manufacturers sold low-priced and often poor quality mountain bikes. As a result, Italian manufacturers briefly lost their historic leadership position in the bicycle industry. In recent years, in order to regain their prominence in the bicycle industry and meet import competition, Italian manufacturers have increased their production of high-performance mountain bikes. Today, cycling is one of the most popular and increasingly important athletic activities in Italy. The successful introduction of mountain bikes, growing environmental awareness, more leisure time, and an expected increase of bicycles for commuting to work have all contributed to the bicycle's renewed popularity.
cyclo-tourism & sport Cycling as a sport, whether it is for participants or spectators, has always held a special place in the hearts of Italians . Professional bike races, including Italy's Giro, the Tour de France, and Spain's Vuelta, are followed passionately by the Italian people. This mass interest in cycling as sport helps to make Italians among the world's most knowledgeable consumers of bicycles, and leads to many passionate "discussions."
nuts & bolts of italian bicycles Most parts on Italian dimension bicycles are interchangeable with British/ISO dimensioned parts. The major exception is the bottom bracket. Italian bottom brackets are 70 mm wide, as opposed to the usual 68 mm dimension of British/ISO and French bottom brackets. The cup diameter is also larger. Sometimes, bicycles which have damaged bottom-bracket threads are machined out to Italian size to eliminate the damaged threads. Italian bottom brackets, like the French, use a right-hand thread on both sides, so the fixed cup is prone to loosening up unless very securely tightened. Italian threading is a curious mixture of metric and British measures. Diameters are specified in millimeters, but threads are in threads-per-inch. In addition, the thread angle is 55 degrees, like the obsolete British Whitworth system, rather than 60 degrees like U.S. and metric threads. Italian freewheel (basically extinct) and headset threads are the same as British/ISO, except for the thread angle difference. They may be interchanged, but you should not go back-and-forth between Italian and British/ISO headsets. View a brief listing of some of the most reputable and sought after Italian Bicycle manufacturers, including a brief history, a sample of their product, and contact information in Iitalian bicycle manufacturers.
Excerpts from "The bicycles and accessories market in Italy", January 1994, by A. Anselmini Dovigi, American Consulate General of Milan. |
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